petite

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​tite pə-ˈtēt How to pronounce petite (audio)
Synonyms of petitenext
: having a small trim figure
—usually used of a woman
petiteness noun

petite

2 of 2

noun

: a clothing size for short women

Examples of petite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
At the fitting, I’m struck by how petite Zegler is—like a baby bird—with eyes as wide as saucers and raven-black hair. — Patricia Alfonso Tortolani, Allure, 18 Mar. 2025 The steaks are cut cleanly and well fired: a forty-five-day-aged rib eye had depth and a gentle funk; a Snake River Farms bavette, while a bit petite, was deep and flavorful. — Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
The company will also be refocusing its attention on fine jewelry and petites. — David Moin, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025 Alfred Dunner, a market brand sold at Penney’s, also offers petites. — David Moin, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for petite

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French, feminine of petit

First Known Use

Adjective

1784, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petite was in 1784

Phrases Containing petite

Rhymes for petite

See All Rhymes for petite

Browse Nearby Words

petite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Petite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petite. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

petite

adjective
pe·​tite
pə-ˈtēt
: having a small trim figure

More from Merriam-Webster on petite

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for petite

Nglish: Translation of petite for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All